First-ever World Braille Day underscores importance of written language for human rights

January 4 is recognized by the UN General Assembly as the national day for the visually-impaired and partially-sighted people. Approximately 39 million people are blind and 253 million don’t have their full sight.

The UN Secretary General, General António Guterres, aserts: “Let us reaffirm our commitment to work together for an inclusive and equitable world, where the rights of people with disabilities are fully realized.” This day intends to highlight the widespread inequality that visually impaired people are usually faced with, as documented by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The World Braille language allows the dissemination of important information for the independence and equality of the visually impaired. The UN released its first report on disability this year on the World Braille Day on January 4th, 2019.